McCarty's return: when hype is backed by genuine emotion

The Red Wings will face a St. Louis Blues team that's slightly banged-up despite having not played since they lost to Detroit on Monday, and on the Wings' side of the equation, it's highly likely that Vatteri Filppula and Dallas Drake will return to the Wings' line-up, while Mikael Samuelsson may have to sit out as he's got some "tightness" in his groin.

None of that "detail stuff" matters to most Wings fans, however, because Darren McCarty's playing tonight. He told the assembled media at Thursday's practice, including the Detroit News's Ted Kulfan, that he'll treasure the milestone:

March 28, Detroit News: "I'm a firm believer you can do whatever you want as long as your priorities are in order and willing to do what it takes," said McCarty, who has overcome a litany of personal problems. "This time around, it's lot different, though. I'm a lot different person, just stronger in a lot of areas, and a pretty tight-knit group around me. The gratitude and appreciation stand (out).

"It's not the end either. Just another step. Getting back on the ice, once I get in the lineup, I want to stay in the lineup and be part of this team. It's such a great opportunity, a chance to win another Stanley Cup."

It's a storyline that almost writes itself...

McCarty remains one of the most popular Wings of the past 10 to 15 years. Tonight's crowd is expected to be a sellout, and the roar could be deafening when McCarty takes the ice.

"I'm excited to be back, and trying to leave it there. I'm not focusing on it," McCarty said. "Whatever emotion there will be, it'll be genuine."

The fact that the locker room's been able to take McCarty in, distractions and all, without skipping a beat speaks to the quality of both McCarty and the players he now calls teammates:

"From Day 1 it's been a lot like coming home," McCarty said. "Everybody in here wants to win and work hard. Everyone gets along. The core guys in here have been through the wars together. It's been like a homecoming."

March 28, Detroit Free Press: [I]t hasn't been easy for McCarty to ignore the magnitude of the situation. Fans won't stop wishing him luck and the media won't leave him alone. As a crush of reporters prepared to descend upon his locker after practice Thursday, the Red Wings forward made nervous small talk with teammates, took off his gear and bowed his head.

When No. 25 skates onto the ice tonight at Joe Louis Arena, it will be the first time in nearly a year that he has played in an NHL game and the first time in nearly four years since he has worn the winged wheel.

"It's something that I try not to really think about," McCarty said. "Whatever the reaction is going to be, I know from running into people everywhere you have a great gratitude for people excited that you're back. I'm trying to leave it there. I'm not focusing on it. Obviously, I'll be nervous. I haven't played in like a year and half. I played one game in the last year at this level. Obviously, hockey-wise, I'll be a little bit nervous, but whatever reaction there is and whatever emotion that I have, it's going to be genuine."

McCarty says that he won't exactly be showcasing any new on-ice tricks or wrinkles in his game:

"I plan on bringing a lot of the same type of game that made people excited and cheer in the first place," McCarty said. "It'll all be the same. I know what's expected of me and I expect it of myself. It's really no secret. I mean, I only sort of have one way to play."

Coach Mike Babcock sounds awfully familiar in delivering the refrain that's been associated with McCarty from the start--he's got the talent, he's got the will, but it's up to #25 to put it all together:

"What I've seen, I've been real impressed with how hard he's worked," coach Mike Babcock said. "Looks good, looks fit, looks healthy, has good hands, has good understanding of the game, has a charismatic personality that people are drawn to him, knows how to win, has won many times in his career, has good grit, good determination. To me, now it's just get him out there and let's let him help us."

The things that floor this blogger, anyway, are the positive twist that McCarty's put on his "I like proving people wrong" mantra, as he told the Macomb Daily's Bruce MacLeod...

March 28, Macomb Daily: "I was always told that I couldn't do it or why I wouldn't be able to my whole life," said Darren McCarty. "I'm one of those people that firmly believes you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it."

And the way in which a certain Aaron Downey is reacting to the fact that McCarty's presence means that Downey's got some competition for his job, and is, for one night, anyway, sitting so that McCarty might play:

"It's a first-class organization to bring back a guy who's won three championships," said Downey. "I tip my hat to anyone that's trying to better themselves. I think he'll be good for our club. You look around the league at teams like Minnesota that right now dress three guys that are pretty tough. ... You can't have enough of these guys around. It's hard to find good, strong, tough competitors this time of year."

McCarty was a second-round draft pick of the Red Wings in 1992. He played 11 seasons in Detroit, including the championship seasons of 1997, 1998 and 2002.

"Aaron Downey's done a great job for us," said Babcock. "In no way is he being replaced or pushed aside or any of that. We're giving Mac (McCarty) an opportunity. That's just so Mac can get in the game. That's not a reflection of what Downs has done."